


Safe. Secure. Content.

by NotReallyAWriter



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Spoilers for Campaign1 Ep 33 & 42, vox machina - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:47:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28156317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotReallyAWriter/pseuds/NotReallyAWriter
Summary: "I don’t want to be alone tonight.""I haven't been wanting to be alone most nights."
Relationships: Keyleth/Vax'ildan (Critical Role)
Kudos: 28





	Safe. Secure. Content.

**Author's Note:**

> After episode 42 I couldn't *not* write this moment between Vax & Keyleth. I haven't finished the first campaign yet, so apologies if anything is too out of character.

_ "I don’t want to be alone tonight." _

_ "I haven't been wanting to be alone most nights." _

Keyleth takes Vax’s hand and gently leads him into the room, closing the door behind her.

He looks at her, not yet saying anything. Suddenly self-conscious, Keyleth drops his hand and walks over to the desk where she had previously been working, carefully cataloguing various acquired monster parts and reading up on their properties in one of her alchemical books. Taking a brief moment to compose herself, gently closing the book that was open on the desk, she takes a breath, heart racing, and turns back to Vax.

Not knowing what to say, or how to say it, she simply walks forward until she’s standing directly in front of him, eyes looking directly into his. Vax reaches out and softly touches her cheek, cupping the back of her head and bringing his thumb across her face as he brings their foreheads together just drinking in the closeness of her. They stand there in silence for several heartbeats until Vax whispers her name, “Kiki”, breaking the trance.

Keyleth smiles at him and pulls back slightly taking a steadying breath. “Come here,” she says, “let me look at that brand”. Vax unties the cloak he was still wearing, and drapes it on a nearby dresser as she leads him over to sit on a low bench at the foot of her bed. She moves to sit on the bed behind him and gently lifts his shirt over his head to get a good look at the back of his shoulder where the sign of The Clasp is now covered and scarred by the shape of her own hand. She tenderly traces her fingers across the brand, absent-mindedly stroking his back thinking about all the events that had led them to this point, to this moment.

Vax sat looking ahead, almost not daring to breathe as Keyleth’s fingers danced across his back. His sister’s healing spell earlier that evening had removed the pain of the burn, but when Keyleth touched his back a shiver ran down his spine. Years of practice in stealth and resisting the urge to jump at the slightest moment were tested as he sat perfectly still, allowing her to examine and explore the area. The Clasp had been one of those nagging details for too long, for years now always a small but constant worry in the back of his mind. For better or for worse, there was a finality about burning away their mark, a freeness; a relief to finally know where he stood going forward.

Keyleth’s fingers were warm as they came to rest, pressing her palm directly over the mark. Ever since their trip to the Fire Ashari as a part of her aramenté, her skin was always warm. She impulsively drops a kiss to Vax’s neck, to his back, resting her cheek against him. Still a little nervous to meet what she knows will be an intense gaze - Vax doesn’t know how to do anything without intensity - she talks to his back. “Thank you,” she says. “Thank you for backing me up this evening. Vax I- I don’t know how to- to- I don’t know what-"

Vax turns sideways, taking her hands and bringing them to his lips. “You don’t have to say anything Kiki, it’s okay. I know this is new. Just being here, with you right now, it’s enough. I didn’t want to be alone tonight.” He gives a small tug on her hands urging her to join him on the bench, which she does. He lifts a hand to her face for the second time that evening and kisses her softly once, twice, three times when she doesn’t pull away from him. Keyleth kisses him back, fairly new to this experience, but quickly becoming a big fan of it. Her mind still racing, trying to make sense of all that is happening, these new sensations, her own feelings, she suddenly stands up. Vax looks up at her quizzically.

“You said I don’t have to say anything. But I want to. I need to. I need you to know. I told you once, back at Whitestone, that I didn’t know, that I was scared, unsure. I’m not scared anymore, Vax. I choose this. I want this, I want  _ you _ . I need you to know that. I just, I don’t want you to think that this is one-sided. I have known you for a long time now. I notice when you sneak off, I worry about you, and I always feel great relief when you are returned to me safely. At first it was a simple relief to have our little group whole again, but over time, now, it is… a selfish relief. A relief that you have been returned to  _ me _ . I know I’m new to some of these things, relationships, but I am used to feeling the heart of earth, the heart of many living things. I trust the earth, I trust my own heart and my heart... longs for you. To be close to you.” She smiles at Vax and draws him up into an embrace, holding him close, letting him feel the heart she speaks of racing against his skin.

Vax buries his face in Keyleth’s neck inhaling deeply, reveling in the words she spoke to him. Feeling speechless with immeasurable gratitude and care for the woman in his arms. He runs his hands up and down her bare arms before wrapping them around her waist. Holding her waist, Vax slowly begins undoing the belt tying closed Keyleth’s sleeveless cloak. Undoing the wrap and sliding it off of her before folding it gently and setting it with his own on the dresser.

Turning back, Keyleth stands where Vax left her, wearing simple undergarments, the light from a couple torches in the room dancing small shadows flickering across her skin. She holds her arms out to him half in a gesture of “well…?” and half welcoming back to her. “Keyleth,” Vax exhales, “What a lucky man am I.” and joins her.

Fingers move across skin, comb through hair, lips brush skin, necks, faces, before meeting each other. There is passion and longing in their movements, but not urgency. Both understanding that there’s no need to rush anything, allowing themselves to just enjoy this initial moment. The pair walks over to the bed, removing boots and their remaining clothes while also trying to maintain small but constant contact with the other, a hand, an arm, sitting hip-to-hip, pressed against each other, craving the closeness, almost scared that ceasing to touch will break this spell.

Vax pulls Keyleth into bed and wraps his arms around her, just holding her close. Not wanting or needing more from her. “Let’s just sleep” He murmurs in her ear, “It’s been a long day. Just let me hold you while we sleep”. Keyleth melts into him, letting the rogue hold her close as she drifts off into sleep. Feeling safe. Secure. Content. Vax feels the change in Keyleth’s breathing and muscle tension and she sleeps in his arms. As a rogue, and a bit of a loner, Vax’ildan has spent many nights on a stakeout. Cold. Alone. Sitting in the darkness with nothing but his thoughts and his breath in the cool night air. Somewhere along the way he got used to the chill. But now, in this moment, holding Keyleth in his arms, he thought maybe, just maybe those nights would be fewer and far between. Vax smiles to himself. Overwhelmed with a deep satisfaction and hope filling his heart as the warmth of Keyleth’s body encircles him as he follows her into sleep. Safe. Secure. Content.

  
  



End file.
